As is to be appreciated, in the age of cyberspace, many different types of WINDOWS computers with WINDOWS 95 or WINDOWS NT operating systems are configured with many different computer sound cards, sound accessories, and sound applications software, each system requiring its own set of instruction manuals to fully describe the operation of the computer configuration. With many audio software applications, there exist an increasing need to simply the task the users must face when utilizing WINDOWS computers with the wide variety of available audio devices.
However, to utilize many of these audio applications now available in many computers equipped with audio devices such as headsets and handsets, speakers, and musical input and output devices, the computer sound card settings must be properly configured by the computer user to satisfy the unique requirements of the particular computer system. Many times, the user must consult the computer sound card, audio accessory, audio software application, and operating system instruction manuals to properly configure the computer sound card.
Even an experienced user may be overwhelmed with all the different computer sound card settings, and to expect the novice to read all the associated instruction manuals and understand which settings are correct and how to set them for effective sound performance is unrealistic. As a result, many users shy away from instruction manuals and fumble by trial and error to find the proper sound card setting or instead opt not to utilize some or all of the audio capabilities of the computer audio applications requiring microphones.
Thus, there is a need for a method that simplifies the process of configuring the computer sound card settings associated with audio applications of WINDOWS computer systems. The prior art has failed to provide a relatively easy means to ensure proper computer sound card settings when audio devices are used with computer sound cards and audio software applications to receive, process, and output accurate audio signals relating to telephony systems involving microphones. The prior art has further failed to provide a system for organizing user configurable dialog-based tabbed menus for controlling computer sound card settings and for alerting the user of improper microphone related computer sound card settings and quickly correcting improper computer sound card settings via internal means.